More About Me – My Name Is Chris Cooke

My name is Chris Cooke. I’m an editor, journalist and media entrepreneur. I publish and write for CMU, ThisWeek Culture and ThreeWeeks Edinburgh.

I co-founded and own UnLimited Media, a company that champions and supports the music, culture, media and communications industries via journalism, research and training, educational initiatives, and live events.

Through UnLimited and CMU, I have also founded a number of ventures in the music business, including the CMU consultancy unit, training business and future talent programme, and the Pathways Into Music Foundation.

I regularly guest lecture about music rights and the music business, including at Nottingham Trent University, Loughborough University, ICMP and BIMM.

I deliver training for MMF and other music industry organisations. I consult for the Council Of Music Makers. I have dissected the digital music dollar and explained music copyright. I programmed twelve editions of The Great Escape Conference. And I helped launch and develop the Taylor Bennett Foundation. I keep busy.

Here is an interview I did in March 2026 about my various projects.

WHAT’S ON THIS WEBSITE

This is my website. You can check out stuff I’ve been doing HERE. You can read stuff I’ve written HERE. You can check out my podcasts HERE.

TRAINING + TEACHING
I regularly teach and talk about the music, media and communication industries, and copyright, media and constitutional law. Find out more HERE.

CONSULTANCY + RESEARCH
I regularly consult for and advise music companies and organisations via CMU, and also undertake research and consulting projects within the culture, media and communication businesses. Find out more HERE.

BOOKS + GUIDES
I have written a number of books, guides and reports, including ‘Dissecting The Digital Dollar’ and ‘Music Copyright Explained’. Find out more HERE.

MY CURRENT BIOG

CHRIS COOKE is an editor, journalist and media entrepreneur.

He is co-Founder and MD of CMU, a company that helps people navigate and understand the music business. It does this through media like the CMU Daily bulletin and Setlist podcast; a consultancy unit and training business; and a future talent programme.

Via CMU, Chris writes, talks, teaches and consults about the music industry. He leads sessions at music conferences around the world and guest lectures at various music colleges. He delivers training for industry organisations like MMF, and consults for the Council Of Music Makers.

He also curated and hosted twelve editions of The Great Escape Conference; wrote acclaimed book ‘Dissecting The Digital Dollar’; and compiled ‘Music Copyright Explained’ for the UK’s Intellectual Property Office. And he co-founded the Pathways Into Music Foundation, which connects music education and the music industry.

As a leading expert on music rights and the global music industry, his expertise includes music licensing; music data; music piracy; the streaming business; sync deals; the evolving role of record labels, music publishers, music distributors and artist managers; and the monetisation of the direct-to-fan relationship.

Chris also pursues other projects via UnLimited Media, which champions and supports the music, culture, media and communication industries through journalism, research and training, educational initiatives, and live events.

Through UnLimited he also publishes cultural recommendations service ThisWeek Culture and its sister magazine ThreeWeeks at the Edinburgh Festival; and he helped to launch and develop the award winning Taylor Bennett Foundation, which is enabling more ethnic diversity in the communications industry.

Earlier in his career, Chris worked on a number of research and consulting projects looking at best practice in corporate communications and reputation management.

He later led the design and content elements of youth marketing programmes for big brands and managed the content delivery of major music partnerships between leading artists and national newspapers. He also produced fringe theatre shows in Edinburgh and London.

With degrees in both English and Law, Chris regularly writes about, discusses and comments on the music business, intellectual property, and the wider culture, media and communication sectors.

GET IN TOUCH…

To discuss any of these projects or businesses, or a potential collaboration, or a writing, speaking or consulting project, or for comment on the music, media or communication industries, or maybe just to say hello, do send me an email.

You can contact me at chris@unlimitedmedia.co.uk

In case there is any confusion, I am NOT the sometimes contentious Tamworth councillor, nor the Wirral councillor, nor the Middlesbrough mayor, nor for that matter: the manager of Procul Harum, the Edinburgh University lecturer, the independent film maker, the South African cricketer, the FT journalist, the magician, the interior designer, or the architect. I keep busy, but not that busy.

LAST UPDATED: March 2026